Never Say Never
by mionejaina561
Summary: AU- The Yuuzhan Vong have not invaded, and the galaxy has been at peace for 24 years. Now everyone must fight to keep their families together or fall.


**Never Say Never**

**Summary: NJO AU, take places in 43 ABY, during the timeline of Fate of the Jedi. The Yuuzhan Vong have not invaded, and the galaxy has been at peace for 24 years. The Empire has strengthened as well at the New Republic, all under the tutelage of the Solos and Fels. The Jedi contingents, grown immensely since the peace treaty, have Jedi across the galaxy, researching and keeping the peace. It all comes to end when an unknown force barges in and takes all governments by surprise. They must fight not only to keep their alliances running but their people from being brutally murdered or enslaved. Sometimes it takes only one person to save the galaxy but this time, everyone must work together, or fall.**

**__****"Never say never- for if you live enough, chances are you will not be able to abide by its restrictions. Never is a long, undependable time and life is too full of possibilities to have restrictions upon it.**  


43 ABY

General Jaina Solo sat down at her desk in her office on Coruscant, rubbing her temples. She may be a Jedi but sometimes, politicians were like dealing with her nieces and nephew all day long. She could only take so much. In her time in the military, she had rose in ranks because not only was she loyal but also the best undercover Jedi anyone could get. As the peace between the Empire and New Republic flourished, more and more of the older Colonels and Generals, even leaders of Rogue and Wraith Squadron stepped down to take advantage of enjoying life.

So here she was ten year later, the Commander of the New Republic's fleet all across the galaxy, dealing with the bureaucrats who insisted on cutting her budget. Her metal desk offered her no comfort as she whipped around in her chair, grabbing the bottle of Corellian ale, pouring herself some.

The Senatorial Committee did not realize how many attempts her Intelligence team stopped in the past two years alone. Despite the treaty, she and her adversary, the infamous General Fel had tried to one up each other in assassinations. So far, they were even and their undercover agents were safe for the time being.

As she sipped the strong alcohol, her door slid open to reveal her younger brother, Anakin Solo, staring jauntily at her. As he strutted in the door, his lightsaber swinging back and forth on his belt, she glared back. Since she had joined Wraith Squadron at the tender age of eighteen, wanting action, her brother joined not long after.

"What brings you to my office, oh brother dear?" Jaina said, as Anakin helped himself to the Corellian brandy right next to her ale. He plopped down in the chair opposite of her, his blue eyes twinkling.

"To bother you of course." He replied, sipping at his cup and cringed. "I still have no idea how Dad can stand this stuff."

Jaina laughed and propped her boots on her desk, Anakin doing the same. "It's an acquired taste, especially after dealing with the Wraiths as long as I did."

"How are they by the way, heard anything back from Deril or Syal yet?" The brunette Jedi shook her head.

"Still out scoping Hutt space. Got a report that Talon and Shada opened a new trade route." She replied, as Anakin looked on thoughtfully. "Heard anything from Tahiri lately?"

"Just a burst yesterday. Kids really miss her, even though they are used to not having both of us around anymore." He said, sadly. Tahiri has gone out in his place, to scope out the Unknown Regions and Chiss to gather any intelligence that might be helpful to her. Her sister in law may have only worked with the New Republic Intelligence for three years, but she was talented in undercover works and could pass as anyone she wanted.

"At least you guys have figured out a system. Most kids don't have that anymore." Jaina replied, looking at the holos of her nieces and nephews scattered across her desk. Both of her brothers made it a point to have at least one parent home at a time to raise their kids and despite being Jedi hellions, she adored them.

"We had that figured out a long time ago, Sis. My family comes first." Anakin said, as she rolled her eyes. "Oh by the way, I came across this while I was sifting through the files today."

He put in the disc on her computer, as the files from Kyp Durron popped up. She read it carefully, skimming through some of his sarcastic comments about being at the end of the galaxy with nothing to do. The Jedi and the New Republic intelligence had finally teamed up after Jaina took the post from Iella five years ago, and she and her twin, Jacen, then appointed Kyp to head up the Jedi squadrons.

"Sounds like nothing is happening to me." Jaina stated as Anakin shook her head and scrolled down to the latest update, pointing straight at it.

"No, it sounds like Kyp is suspicious of the activity going on at Helska 4." Anakin said, as Jaina waved him off to let her read more. "This activity really hit a high yesterday, so Kyp took the squadron to check it out."

"What would anyone want with the deserted ice planet?" the general mumbled as Kyp's report ended. "The place is hell."

Anakin chuckled as his sister leaned back in her seat, eyes closed. He could feel her stretch out in the Force, surrounding herself with peace and tranquility. He knew that those outer edges of the galaxy held some bad memories and knew she needed this.

"I am hoping that Durron will report within the next six hours. While I was looking at that, I send a secured transmission to the science station on Belkedan to make sure."

"Smart thinking, Anakin. I knew there was a reason you and I worked so well together." Jaina replied, a smile in her voice. It was nice to be close to her baby brother, to keep an eye on him as the years passed. A fateful vision caused Jaina to panic sixteen years ago, as she saw both of her brothers taken away. Ever since then, she had vowed to keep them close.

"Also helps that you and I have the Force connection." Anakin retorted, poking her in the side. He looked down at his chrono and gulped. "I better get going, Jacen might kill me if I leave the kids alone with him too long."

"No, I would think, he would kill himself if left alone with all four kids at once, especially with Tenel Ka off planet at the moment." Jaina replied, her brother walking toward the door as he turned around. "You would think after being named the new Grand Master, Jacen would be able to handle four Force-sensitive kids on his own."

Anakin's eyebrow raised a bit as Jaina just laughed. "Have you met my children? They drive me up the wall."

"True. Now shoo, I will be along for dinner in about thirty minutes." Jaina retorted, waving him out the door. As the door shut, her brandy eyes were riveted on the report in front of her. She felt something was happening but couldn't put her finger on it.

Maybe it was time to pull the Wraiths and have them help out the Dozen and then maybe Jaina could concentrate on other tasks at hand, like the arrival of Jacen and Tenel's new baby.

If only she knew what would be happening next.

...

Colonel Davin Fel, the current leader of Vanguard squadron, was on the outer edges of Chiss space with his wingmate and a small cruiser. The Chiss were very secretive and having just rebuilt the fortress on Niraun , they were being extra cautious when patrolling their borders.

The only reason the blue skinned race tolerated Davin was because he was an amazing pilot and son of the current Chief of State for the Galactic Empire. Baron Soontir Fel was a well-respected Syndic with the Chiss culture and when asked to head up the government by an old friend, his father didn't refuse.

The rest of his squadron was holding back at a rendezvous point a few parsecs away. The garbled transmission for a lonely planet out in the Unknown regions was no cause of concern to the eldest Fel child as his eyes and sophisticated scanners scanned the space before him.

His wing mate and XO, Shawkynr, were hovering to his portside, probably doing the same as something flitted across his screen quickly.

"Kyrn, did you see that?" he asked quietly, not trusting himself to turn away. His clawcraft was of advanced design and had powerful weapons and shields.

"I did, sir." She replied as smaller ships appeared on their scopes, coming toward them at a rapid speed.

"Oh I definitely saw that." Davin growled as he yanked his yoke, propelling him forward. This kind of activity was unusual for this portion of the region and transmitted a message to the rest of his squadron to get here immediately. Whoever this was meant business as fifty shapes hurtled toward them.

Davin suddenly had a bad feeling about this as the shape turned out to be weird colored ships that seemed to be made of coral, or something along those lines. He heard the rest of his men and women revert out of hyperspace behind him as they all gasped at the sight before them.

Soon enough Vanguard squadron was dodging was seemed to be balls of plasma as bigger, more impressive ships entered the system. This was not good.

"Vanguard, go.." Davin started to say as his alarms wailed that his advanced shielding was compromised just at Vanguard four lit up the space next to him, only to reveal the now ugly ship before him. What looked like a black hole was coming out of its side as it swallowed the shots fired at it.

Whatever this was, it had already killed half of his squadron and the rest were taking aim on the cruiser behind them. Davin did everything in his power to juke left and right, trying to avoid the obvious lethal plasma balls the other species was aiming at them.

Suddenly Kyrn was on his starboard side, their shield enough to give them enough strength to break from the pack. He looked down at his screen and realized that he and his XO were the only two clawcrafts left.

He swore extensively as he realized the rest of the coral ships were surrounding them. He keyed in a code that was sent directly to ruling families and also his brother. They needed to know about this new threat.

"Kyrn, the only way out is if one of us sacrifices their life." Davin said, dejectedly. He looked at the holo of his wife and kids, hybrids but accepted nonetheless.

"No Davin, I cannot allow that." She said as he stroked the holo softly. "There has to be another way."

"One of us needs to go back to the kids, Kyrn. They can live without me." Davin said, as she leveled her clawcraft with him. He could imagine those red eyes, tinged with the sadness allowed for her species. "They need their mother to show them the Chiss ways."

"And they need to their father." She replied tersely as he frantically saw both of them dead in seconds. Any plan he came up with was one where one of them died.

As the opening appeared, he heard a strangled sigh as the first clawcraft hurtled toward the space where they could jump. He saw his wife go to lightspeed as he realized she knew it was the only way. Davin just hoped she would tell his family what happened.

If he was going to die, by Force he was going to die a hero.

And so he did.


End file.
